This Is Actually Good, Because…
A few weeks ago I was in my local indie bookstore and a self-help book with a lemon yellow cover caught my eye.
It was called You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life, by Jen Sincero. “Sheesh,” I thought, “what manner of Pollyanna baloney is this?”
Then I flipped through to a random page and found my new life philosophy.
Because on that page, Sincero recommended that when something bad happens to you, you should immediately reframe it by finishing the sentence, “This is actually good because…” The simple act of doing that forces you out of a negative mindset and forces you to focus on positives, however small. So when you are stuck at the end of a long line at the DMV, instead of thinking, “There goes my day, plus I think that coughing guy is giving me tuberculosis and/or lice,” you say, “This is actually good, because it gives me a reason to see if the Centers for Disease Control has a mobile app.” See? As someone who usually sees bad things as, well, bad, I knew this simple phrase could pack enormous power.
So I’ve been practicing “This is actually good because” as my new mantra. And the fact that I woke up two days ago with an allergic reaction to eye makeup that makes it look like a) I’ve been punched in both eyes and b) I am wearing an eyeshadow color called “Magenta Flame” is actually good, because:
I normally try to control my hair-trigger crying reflex so as not to upset the family, but since it looks like I’ve been on a two day jag anyway, I am free to let fly. Commercials, onions, feelings of inadequacy, the movie Fruitvale Station—I’m sobbing like crazy and saying “Stupid allergies!” to anyone who wonders why.
Sometimes I’m tempted to stay up late in bed and read. With my swollen lids, I can barely see the page so good night Irene!
I hadn’t had my blood pressure checked lately, nor had I climbed onto the scale at the doctor’s office that always adds eleven pounds to my home scale weight. Now I’m all caught up on both counts.
The doctor has recommended putting absolutely no products near my eyes at all, so I’m saving valuable time not washing my face or wearing makeup. Corollary: no more pesky compliments to interrupt my day!
It’s not blepharitis, which is the search result you get for “red eyelids, bloodshot eyes” on Google. That stuff is gross.
I really like my sunglasses, and I’m spending a lot of time with them right now.
Whether it’s the the expensive primer, the two-month old eye shadow trio, or the fancy mascara that caused the reaction, I’ll never know because it’s all going into the trash. So much more storage room in my makeup bag!
The money that I’d normally spend on replacing said eye makeup is free to be reapportioned. That’s what I call a financial windfall for the concert t-shirt collection.
I was debating whether to bring the white/grey/blue clothes to BlogHer next week, or the orange/red/pink stuff. Problem solved! If I go for the latter, my eyelids will look perfectly coordinated.
Yes I am too going to do it. Nancy Davis Eyes, clap clap. I’m staying away from that Pro Blush, though.
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